Carmarthen auctioneers Peter Francis kicked-off their 2009 calendar of Antiques and Fine Art Sales with an offering of only 347 lots, somewhat down on their usual catalogue.

However, pre-sale enquiries were encouraging and on the day, the Curiosity Saleroom was as full as it ever has been with the 'usual suspects' and a good array of new faces from far and wide.

This, the penultimate sale in the Curiosity, where the auction house has been since the early 1970s started as usual with pictures and a good steady selling rate was led by a pair of T. B. Hardy watercolours in poor condition at £1,500, a James Smetham portrait at £920, a small Valerie Ganz watercolour at £520, a Sally Moore oils in poor condition at £900 and a Kyffin Williams print of a Welsh Black Bull at £900.

Furniture was encouraging despite all the financial gloom with most pieces selling within or above estimate and at better rates than the last sale in November.

Top price was a Flemish oak cupboard at £2,400 sold on the phone to a Dutch dealer, an 18th Century oak dome topped cupboard at £1,600, an English court cupboard to a private buyer at £1,400 and a good mahogany sideboard at £1,050.

Clocks, especially longcases, are good value at present, with top price being £780 for a Welsh brass face longcase by John Evans, Lampeter.

Silver was generally above estimate led by a photograph frame at £540, with jewellery selling steadily with a top price of £1,100 for a platinum three stone ring.

Biggest shock of the day was the significant national and international interest in a group of Egyptian antiquities, very difficult to value, but catalogued with some museum assistance.

Consigned from the family of a 1930s collector, any ideas of estimate were blown out of the water by a total for eight lots of just on £20,000!

'Phone lines and bidders in the room from London and the USA tried hard, but the top lots went to a very determined West coast US buyer, with the rest to London.

Top price was £9,000 for a 6" high bronze figure of Nephthys, probably 300-100 BC, a canoptic jar in alabaster, used to preserve internal organs, circa 400 BC, made £3,400.

The family remember that the lid used to be used as a doorstop!

A small section of ceramics and some rugs closed the day, led by a pair of Llanelly pottery candlesticks decorated by Shufflebotham, which sold to a local buyer at £520.

The last sale at the Curiosity, after 35 years takes place on the March 24 as the auctioneers make their move to purpose converted rooms at Towyside in Old Station Road, Carmarthen.

February sees two furnishing and collectors auctions at the Pensarn saleroom, with these sales also being moved to Towyside in April.

The first antiques and fine art sale at the new saleroom will be on May 19, with a formal opening a few days prior.